BJP attacks Uttar Pradesh government for power crisis

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party government for acute power crisis in the state.

Slamming a statement of state Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav Sunday that people have to bear the brunt of their acts, state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said such language was unpardonable.

Yadav, who is the younger brother of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Sunday told an angry group of people in Auraiyya that "Jo boya hai, so hi kato (as you have sown, so shall you reap)".

The statement was in reference to people voting for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, Pathak said. The BJP won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from the state while the SP won just five seats.

The BJP leader said the state government was involved in vendetta against the people for supporting the BJP.

"The chief minister and his government are better advised to concentrate on improving power supply than victimising people for voting our party," Pathak said.

BJP leaders also accused the SP government of false statements and pointed out how the government was claiming a shortfall of 500 MW.

"If this is the case, then the difference between supply and demand is merely 500 MW. Why are there power cuts of 15-18 hours in cities and even in places like Lucknow?" Pathak asked.

The BJP asked the Akhilesh Yadav government to explain the rationale of putting an additional power surcharge on people. Besides, it questioned the 24x7 power supply to VIP constituencies like Mainpuri, Azamgarh, Etawah, Rampur and Kannauj.